Philips warns unlicensed DVD+R makers in Taiwan

Won't that just make the smaller manufacturers switch production to DVD-R? Is it all that difficult to switch?

No doubt they could switch to DVD-R if they wanted - but a licence must be aquired to use that format too... All they would probably be doing is buying themselves a little more time before another 'warning' comes their way

Philips also claims to have the royalty rights for DVD-R format. Shipments from DVD-R makers are, therefore, also blocked at the ports of the European Union. For example Princo's DVD-R are being blocked all over Europe, the only way for Princo (and other unlicensed makers) is to get the goods in by 'unconventional' ways. Sorry to Aktiv18, end-users won't be easily able to switch to DVD-R if there is a shortage of DVD+R in Europe. Actually Philips is loosing lawsuits against Taiwanese media manufacturers (Princo and Gigastorage) is NOT only because they do not have the patents rights for the products, but they are according to the courts in Taiwan and USA asking for unreasonable high royalty fees. While you only need a few patents to manufacturer a CD-R or DVDR, Philips insists that you have to buy a whole package (100+) patents in order to produce a CD-R. This means that a factory is actually paying way too much. To give a reference, it is no secret that Philips' royalty fees accounts for more than 1/3 of the costprice of a DVDR discs and 50% of CD-R Due to recent pricedrops these percentages should be much higher.

"it is no secret that Philips' royalty fees accounts for more than 1/3 of the costprice of a DVDR discs and 50% of CD-R Due to recent pricedrops these percentages should be much higher. " I won't buy anonther Philips branded DVD+R's after the last ones I got. They were awful. If others have the same experience, Philips must need to make their money somehow.